


keep on keepin' on(you know you're not alone)

by flooded_in_the_sky



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Apologies, Confessions, Gen, Good Babysitter Steve Harrington, Missing Scene, Post-Battle of Starcourt (Stranger Things), Robin Buckley Needs a Hug, Teen for language, can't believe that wasn't already a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:22:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26504335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flooded_in_the_sky/pseuds/flooded_in_the_sky
Summary: “I’m sorry about what happened in the bathroom. After the Russians. I can’t even imagine how hard it was for you to tell me, and I never even would’ve said all that shit if I wasn’t high out of my mind. Just-I wanted to make sure you didn’t feel like you had to tell me, because you don’t owe anybody shit, y’know?”Robin picks her head up and looks at him for a moment.Steve feels like he owes Robin an apology.
Relationships: Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington
Comments: 3
Kudos: 89





	keep on keepin' on(you know you're not alone)

It is August 6, a month after the Russians and Starcourt and the goddamn Mind Flayer, and Steve finds himself sitting in Nancy Wheeler’s basement, of all places. He thinks it’s worth noting that Nancy has nothing to do with why he’s there. He’s the only adult the kids know without a job, as of now, which makes him the de facto babysitter. And because both Dustin and Max are obsessed with Robin, she comes along for the ride. The ride, in this case, is sitting on the couch in comfortable silence while the kids play Dungeons and Dragons, the nerdiest goddamn thing Steve’s ever heard of in his life. Of course, Robin loves it, on the edge of her seat and paying attention to every detail. Will seems to like that sort of attention, and he plays it up, dramatically introducing new monsters and trials for the rest of the group to face. 

Right now, though, she’s staring at the wall and at nothing, head on Steve’s shoulder. The kids are still busy with their game, though it seems to be winding down.

“Hey.” He nudges her lightly. “You okay?”

Robin nods in reply. “Just tired.”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Sure.” 

“I’m sorry about what happened in the bathroom. After the Russians. I can’t even imagine how hard it was for you to tell me, and I never even would’ve said all that shit if I wasn’t high out of my mind. Just-I wanted to make sure you didn’t feel like you had to tell me, because you don’t owe anybody shit, y’know?”

Robin picks her head up and looks at him for a moment. 

“You’re fine, Steve. I didn’t tell you because I thought I had to. I told you because I panicked, and I was pretty sure we were supposed to be dead by then.” She pauses, and then even quieter, says, “And nobody’s ever told me they liked me before.”

“Oh, that’s bullshit,” Steve says in quiet disbelief. “You’re telling me some dweeb hasn’t poured his heart out to you?”

“Band kids aren’t exactly a hot commodity, dingus.” Robin smiles, but it doesn’t quite meet her eyes. 

“Somebody had to realize how kickass you are.”

“Nope.” Robin sets her head back down. “They all live in ignorance.”

“Well they’re missing out. Big time.”

She punches him lightly. “Thanks.”

“What was that?” 

“I said, _thanks,_ dingus,” Robin mumbles loudly into his arm, and Steve grins. 

“Hey, lovebirds,” Dustin calls, and Steve rolls his eyes. Robin snorts.

“Yeah, dipshit?”

“Can you take us to the arcade?”

Steve thinks it over for a moment. “There’s, what, six of you? I don’t think you can all fit in my car. Unless somebody wants to hop in the trunk.”

The kids look at each other for a moment, and finally Will speaks up. 

“Mike sits in the trunk.”

Immediately El and Lucas agree, much to Mike’s dismay.

“Come on, that’s not fair.”

“Uh, yeah, it is,” Lucas retorts, and the argument takes off.

Steve drops them off at the arcade. He thinks he’s driving some sort of clown car, the way they stream out and take off without looking back. 

“So are we relieved of our babysitting duties?” Robin asks from the passenger seat. 

“No, Jonathan and Nancy aren’t done with work for a while, and then the parents after that. I give them about an hour before they get bored and we come get them.”

Robin nods, and rolls the window down as they pull out of the parking lot.

“Where do you want to go?” Steve asks over the wind, and Robin does a little shrug. 

“Anywhere’s good.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! i would like to do more "missing scenes" like this for stranger things, so if you have any ideas, please leave them in a comment! title is from sunday roast by courtney barnett :)


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